The 2021-22 president of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) Board of Directors is a fourth-generation family farmer. Bryan Biegler grows corn and soybeans in Lake Wilson, a town about 25 miles from the South Dakota border in southwestern Minnesota. This month, he assumed the MCGA presidency, taking over from Courtland farmer Tim Waibel.
Biegler grew up on the Lake Wilson farm, which was started by his great-grandfather and subsequently operated by his grandfather and parents. He now runs the farm with his wife, Lauren. They live there with their three kids.
The Bieglers have placed significant emphasis in implementing conservation practices on their farm. For the past 10 years, they have strip tilled their land or refrained from tilling it at all. More recently, they have planted cover crops to prevent erosion and improve soil health and water quality.
An MCGA board member since 2016, Biegler has also served on the Murray County Corn & Soybean Growers Association Board of Directors. Additionally, he has been involved with the Soil Health Partnership, a farmer-led soil-health research network run by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Currently, Biegler is vice chair of the NCGA Stewardship Action Team and is a mentor with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.
In 2018, he and Lauren were named Murray County Farm Family of the Year by University of Minnesota Extension.
In a statement, Biegler said he was excited for the new role. "Corn is a vital part of the fabric of Minnesota's family farms, rural and urban communities, and our state's economy," he said. "MCGA works hard to make sure we are a respected, present and trusted voice for the farmers we represent. I look forward to continuing to advocate for fellow farmers and stakeholders on topics that affect our state's farmers and helping to lead the organization into the future serving in this role over the next year."
Also this month, Richard Syverson became vice president, Dana Allen-Tully became treasurer and Jim Kanten became secretary. Syverson, an MCGA board member since 2018, grows corn and soybeans and raises sheep with his wife and son in Pope County in west-central Minnesota. Allen-Tully, an MCGA board member since 2019, runs a dairy and crop farm in Eyota with her parents and brother. Kanten, also a board member since 2019, grows corn, soybeans and sugar beets on his family farm in Milan.
With more than 6,500 members, MCGA is one of the largest grassroots farm organizations in the U.S. Working in close partnership with the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council, MCGA identifies and promotes opportunities for Minnesota's 24,000 corn farmers while building connections with the non-farming public.
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Corn, Soybeans